Star Wars Scout Trooper [WIP: Hip Joints, Legs, Knees, and Feet]

 After completing a significant portion of the Scout Trooper's upper half, it was time to work on the lower half. For 'structural display' reasons, I plan to complete the bottom half comprising the Lower Torso, Hip Joints, Legs, Knees, and Feet before returning to work on the missing upper half i.e. the Shoulders, Arms, Elbows, and Hands. I figured that if I completed the bottom half first then I would be able to better pose it for those work-in-progress shots before the final reveal. This then is a work-in-progress blog update on the Scout Trooper's Hip Joints, Legs, Knees and Feet. 

Bandai 1/12 scale Scout Trooper Hip Joints, Legs, Knees, and Feet (front view)

Bandai 1/12 scale Scout Trooper Hip Joints, Legs, Knees, and Feet (back view)

 Of the two it's the Scout Trooper's right leg that has greater detail in the form of a Blaster Pistol Holster strapped-on to the side of the boot between the ankle and calf (see below, next five photos). The kit does provide parts for a Blaster Pistol that I have yet to assemble and paint. And as I'll likely pose the Scout Trooper seated on the Speeder Bike, the pistol would then be inserted into the holster. To differentiate the boots from the holster, the former was painted in flat white with the latter in gloss white. Meanwhile the holster straps were painted in ivory white. Also in gloss white was the Knee Pad Armor albeit left in its original molded color with grey panel lining the only paint applied. 

Parts/sub-assemblies making up the Right Hip Joint/Leg/Knee/Foot

Color scheme comprises whites, off-whites, blacks, dark greys and ochre

Scout Trooper Right Hip Joint, Leg, Knee and Foot (painted and assembled)

Color scheme comprises whites, off-whites, blacks, dark greys and ochre

Right leg has freedom of movement allowing it to bend at the knee up to around 120 degrees

 While not as detailed, the Scout Trooper's left leg is only missing the holster for the Blaster Pistol. Apart from that, both legs are pretty much the same (see photos below). As for the color scheme, I've already described the whites/off-whites in the preceding paragraph. That leaves the blacks/greys of the knees and thighs as well as the ochre of the soles of the feet. Like the Knee Pad Armor, the sole was left in its original molded color but I did spray on a clear matt coat on both of them. As for the thighs and other parts of the knees, they were painted a semi-gloss black with some straps on the upper thighs painted in black grey. Dut to contrast issues, the latter isn't too obvious in the photos.

Parts/sub-assemblies making up the Right Hip Joint/Leg/Knee/Foot

Apart from the sole, knee pad, and ankle, everything else was painted

Scout Trooper Left Hip Joint, Leg, Knee and Foot (painted and assembled)

Freedom of movement points are found in the ankle, knee and hip joint      

Similarly, the left leg can also bend at the knee up to approximately 120 degrees

 One thing that irks me to no end is the visible gap running down the calf of both boots. It irks me more knowing I was aware of this potential issue from the start. Initially I had planned to assemble the boots first before priming and then sanding them down in preparation for its flat white basecoat. But because that entailed some tricky masking of the top black section, I decided to risk the reverse i.e. paint first then assemble. Well, that gamble didn't pay off. From the back it doesn't look too bad i.e. it could pass off as a groove for the boot's zipper. But from the front it looks unnatural. Not a deal breaker. Not really. More like a splinter in a mind with OCD tendencies. Wait, that's kinda worse!

 Anyway, the deed is done. Short of removing repainting them, the boots will stay as they are, warts and all. It's a good lesson to trust my instincts seeing that I'm experienced enough to know better. Also it's about time for me to try to be positive about a bad situation as was the case for Formula One driver Daniel Ricciardo's radio reply after being told he had picked up a five-second penalty during the recent Russian Grand Prix at Sochi ... "Okay. I'll drive faster. Yeah, that's my bad. I'll make up for it."